Cibcitit-cohtbollihg button



W. A. FREDERiCK.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING BUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 191a.

Patented June 24, 1919.

EZAEWZi'O? William, d-Evderick ati y.

'WILLIAM A. FREDERICK, OF BOSTON, MASSKCHUSETTS.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING BUTTON.

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Specification of L s Patent Tlutentcu l nut 2%, 11919.

Application .filed February 7, 1918. Serial No. 215,741.

and State of lllassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controlling Buttons, oi? whlch the fOllOWilig is e specification.

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and claimed.

This invention relates to electric circuit controllers. and refers particularly to devices of this character employed in automo' biles for signaling purposes such as the lrind of elcctrorcsponsive devices known as electric horns. it do not limit myself however to this particular employment, as my improved device is useful for many other purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive circuit controller which may he quickly secured in position for use by clamping it between a nut and whatever surface the nut is usually set against.

To this end, my invention consists in the device substantially as hereinafter described Uf the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1' is a side elevation of my improved circuit-controlling button, mounted on the upper end of the steering post of an aptomobile.

if 1g. 2 is an under plan vlew of the button removed from the steering post.

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Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3-8 oil: Fig. 1, omitting the nut and post.

Fig. 4 represents a section on line H of Fig. 1, omitting the nut.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the insulating ring and its conducting strips, removed from the cap or shell portion of the button, said view showing the opposite side of the ring from that which appears in Fig. 4:.

Similar reference characters designate similar ports in all of the views.

The cap or shell portion 12 is connected to the thin fiat foot 13 by a spring neck 14, these parts being preferably formed integrally of thin sheet metal such as steel. llhe foot 13 is adapted to be clamped between. the top so of a steering post and the nut 2, which is employed to hold the steering wheel to the post. Said foot may be U- shaped, as shown in Fig. 2, to span the usual threaded top of the post, or may be in the form or a complete {lat ring instead of U- shaped.

llltounted in the cap 12 is an insulating ring if). it may be fastened in placcubut I find inpracticc that it is sufficient to have the ring fit the interior of the "up. with such friction as will enable it to be easily removed for inspection or lcaning or uttaching or detaching the wires presently referred to.

The ring 15 curries two conducting strips 16, 17, each having; cars at its ends overlapping the under surface of the ring and secured thereto as by rivets 18.

When two circuit Wires 13'), 20, are em.-

*-ployed. one is suitably connected to an ear of strip 16 and the other to an ear of strip '17, as by clamping them under said cars.-

If but one wire is employed, it may be connected to the ears of both strips.

With the device constructed and mounted as indicated in Fig. 1, the nut 7 not only secures the device in position for use by clamping the foot piece liietweon its under surface and the top of steering post m, but it serves to complete thcclcctric circuit when. the cap 1E2 is depressed to cause the edges of the strips 16, 17, or their ears, to bear on the top of the nut. It is to be under stood, of course, that normally the ca is held by the resilience of neck 14 sufiicientl y high to prevent complcti on of the circuit.

With the construction illustrated, both wires lead to the electroresponsivc device, in

cluding, of course, a source of electricity such as a battery. As the particular device the circuit of which is to be controlled forms no part of my invention, it is unnecessary to illustrate the same.

When my improved button is employed in connection with an electroresponsive device so mounted or carried that the post w, or whatever carries the nut y, can be connected to ground, such as the frame of an automobile, one of the wires 19, 20, may be omitted, the other wire being then connected to both of the strips 16, 17, if desired.

It will now be understood that the device is adapted to he applied, without change or alteration in its construction, to automobiles having either double or single wire connections. If two wires are employed, they are connected to the two strips 16, 17, which are permanently spaced from each other so as to necessitate the interposition of the nut between them (resulting from depressing; the cap) to complete the circuit, the nut being included in said circuit. On the other hand it is only necessary to omit one of the wires in this case also, is included in the circuit.

Whether one wire or two Wires be employed, it or they will preferably pass v through a slot or opening 21 in the spring neck l4.

Having now described my invention in one of its embodiments, without attempting to explain all modifications thereof, or all of its possibilities of use, What I-claini is:

1. The combination with a nut and a member supporting said nut, of acap having an integral foot piece adapted to be clamped between said nut and its support, said cap and foot piece having a resilient connecting neck, an insulating ring in said cap, and a pair of contact strips for wire connection-J separately connected to said ring, saidstrips being permanently laterally spaced whereby a circuit canbe established only by the simultaneous contact of said strips with said nn:

2. A device of the character described, comprising a cap having amintegral yieldingly connected foot piece -an insulating ring in said cap, a pair of contact strips for wire connections separately connected to said ring, and a bridging contact for said strips, said strips being permanently laterally spaced whereby a circuit can be established only by the operative interposition of said bridging contact between said strips.

In testimony whereof I ha: aflixed my signature.

WILLIAM A. FREDERICK. 

